Exterior Patio Screening

In the great southwest wind and sun are the greatest sources of both energy and property damage. Winds cool the air and sun warms the exterior walls of buildings. Exterior screening can be the most effective way of taking advantage of these elements.

Many homes in the southwest are constructed with deep portals or porches which make use of passive solar energy. When the sun is lower in the sky in winter months, the sun’s rays help to heat a building through the warming of exterior walls. In summer months, a deep overhang shields exteriors for several hours of the days from the sun and thereby helps to keep interiors cooler. Exterior screening extends the use of passive solar energy by controlling the exposure of exterior walls to sun or cooling winds. Lowering outdoor screening on windy days reduces the intensity of cool air, and on summer days shields from a hot sunshine and expands the outdoor living space. Retracting screening on calm days allows more heat to warm the sides of a building during the winter months.

With exposure to direct UV rays from the sun, colors fade, surfaces become hot to the touch, and materials like paint, wood and stucco can degrade or deteriorate from sun damage. Shielding areas from the sun with exterior screening greatly reduces damage over time, both to exteriors and property like rugs, furniture and art inside. Screening can also significantly reduce the amount energy needed to cool interiors with the use of air conditioning or fans, and by deflecting the worst of cold winds, reduces heating bills.